And now for something completely different...

Marketing...schmarketing.  I've been blogging about marketing and communications for a long time.  So I'm going off script to share my four rules for living. Ready?  Here they are.

1. Show up.
2. Pay attention.
3. Think before you act.
4. Act before you think too much.

Simple enough, huh?  Yeah, until you try to live them!

Here's what they mean to me -- two at a time.

1. SHOW UP

To really show up, you have to bring your whole self to whatever you do.   Bring your A game, as they say.  You've heard the saying, "Live in the present moment"?  Well, this means the same thing to me.

We value multi-tasking right now.  In fact, I've lost count of the job postings I've seen that list multi-tasking as a required skill.  But there’s a down-side because multi-taskers miss things. While checking email and sending a text you may miss a chance to connect with a co-worker or client.

For one day try doing things in sequence rather than at the same time. You may find you actually get more done in less time because you’re focused.  Or not.   It's worth trying. anyway.

2. PAY ATTENTION

Paying attention goes with showing up.  If you’re doing several things at once, something’s going to suffer. People sense when your attention's divided and may think you don't care.  (Think of how you feel at a store where the clerk is talking on the phone rather than helping you.)

It comes down to choices. You can’t pay attention to everything all the time. Decide what's most important at the moment. That's where your attention belongs.


Enough said.  On to the final two next week.